Honesty Will Set You Free

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I have been posting and blogging now for about 2 years to try to bring awareness to the health issues of kidney diseases. For 2 years I have been trying to get it through to people that people are dying from these diseases. I always believed that by some chance of good fortune or maybe just dumb luck that one of my posts would hit the right person. A person or better yet a group of people who have tons and tons of followers. Vice President Mike Pence is from Debbies home town of Columbus Indiana, he attended Columbus North High School. If anyone at all has anyone who is connected to Mike Pence, share this and hopefully he will see it. My last post stated that statistics show that a person dies every 22 minutes of everyday from some sort of kidney related disease or issue. Only one person commented on that ….one…come on people do you want me to do the math for you, here it is!!! That’s 2.73 people per hour, still not enough to get your attention then how about this figure 65.52 people per day, still not bothered by it, then here’s another figure for you, 458.64 people per week without fail. And if that still doesn’t hit home here is one that should. 458.64 x 52 weeks in a year….23,849.28 people lose their lives to kidney related diseases or issues simply because there are not enough donors. That is so so sad. I say this as all of you know my wife Debbie is in very late stage 4 kidney failure and dialysis is the next step if a loving generous donor does not come forward. Now, I don’t know about the rest of you but I simply do not want to live the rest of my life without Debbie. I know these posts are getting old and boring but I cannot give up, I have way too much to lose to give up. So I have to ask you, what if it was your wife or loved one that is having to go thru this. What would you do. Think about it. 23,849.28 lose their lives to kidney problems. We have Breast Cancer Awareness, Muscular Distrophy Awareness, Cerebal Palsy Awareness…and yet kidney disease related deaths outnumber all of those. I just pray to God above that Debbie does not turn into a statistic.

As I have said on several occasions on Facebook, driving for a living has it's major drawbacks. There's the consistent heavy traffic, also the distracted drivers, but for me on most days now it's the empty time I have while turning the miles on the highways. This give me way too much time to think. I think about the job of course, money, friends, my cat Roxie, and most of all my family...my wife to be more pertinent. Today was one of those days where Debbie was on my mind constantly, so much so that I broke down and had a heart to heart chat with God my Lord and savior. I said God we have talked many a time in the last 4 years. The first two years I really was somewhat unsure of how to discuss this issue with you. But God you have heard my prayers both vocal and silent about Debbie's illness or disease. Lord you have heard my pleas, seen my tears on many occasions, my prayers to put this sickness on me instead of Debbie because I don't believe that she truly deserves to go through this. I have prayed to you for strength and mental guidance to find new ways to try to help her. I have begged you Lord on numerous occasions to touch the gentle and giving heart of a Christian so that maybe just maybe they might be the right one to want to love Debbie enough to help save her life. Well now I am asking God to bring the right connection to Debbie's GoFundMe page, hopefully some corporate connections to help me with a billboard to further get this message of Debbies need for a living donor to donate a kidney. Hopefully God heard my pleas and will touch those and they will be compelled to help. Debbie needs this so if you're reading this, help me help her please!

I have had a few days off this week due to mechanical issues so I am trying to figure out what I can do to get the message through to people that the medical situation my wife is in IS a life or death situation. The only sure fix is a kidney transplant for which I am desperately searching. So I kept thinking what more could I do, what more has to be said about this. the answer came to me, NOTHING. I have said all I can and done everything that God has led me to do. Then God spoke to me and said “Gerry there is definitely more that you can do”. so feeling bewildered, upset, and confused I sat down, turned on the television and saw the answer. One of the reasons that people are so leery to help my wife might just be that they don’t know her very well at all. Well here are a few facts about my wife that might just help.

Debbie’s age is 57 soon to be 58.
Debbie is 5 feet tall even.
Debbie has no siblings at all and she only has 6 cousins all of whom are either the wrong blood type or in to bad of health to be able to help her with donation.
Debbie is married of course to me. She is a faithful attendee at Flintwood Weselyn Church.
Debbie has one daughter Casey Dawn, stepdaughter Avalon Michelle and a stepson Joshua Michael.
Debbie’s only daughter also has Polycystic Kidney Disease.
Debbie has 3 grandchildren Jaden, Kellan, and Aedyn.
Debbie is in excellent health with the exception of the Polycystic Kidney Disease that is trying to kill her.
Debbie has never smoked in her life.
Debbie has never ever done any illegal drugs.
Debbie doesn’t drink.
She is very protective of all living creatures.
She loves animals but her favorite are cats.
So, these are a few facts about my loving wife and believe me when I say this, I have done everything I can to donate one of my kidneys but Indiana University Health refused to let me. I am finishing this post with a short video I put together to further get you acquainted with my best friend in the whole world. Remember, dialysis is a short term fix and it shortens her life. The best possible scenario is for a live donor to come forth. It must be someone who is altruistic at heart. If you are in the slightest bit interested in being a living donor for Debbie and you have type “O” blood you must call Indiana University Transplant at 1-800-382-4602 and talk to Kelly. I have been told that she will discourage you from donating so unless you’re serious, please don’t call.

On 12/21/2017 I was on my way to Jeffersonville after picking up a load in Portage Indiana. Heading south in I-65 I was about at the Thorntown exit when my onboard computer told me that my diesel particulate filter was high in soot level. Computer told me next to pull over and do a parked regen which is supposed to clear put all the soot and ash. So I pulled in a fuel stop at Lebanon and did the parked regen cycle. That did not clear the system according to the computer. I ended up having to tow the tractor to Andy Mohr Volvo in Indy and putting the loaded trailer in the wrecker storage lot there in Lebanon. Andy Mohr supposedly did the repairs ($700.00 to replace an $80.00 sensor plus $360.00 for the tow bill) on the truck and I went from Columbus to Indy to get it the next morning. I then went backup to Lebanon to get my trailer and headed to Jeffersonville Indiana.

I made it exit 90 which is the Franklin Indiana exit on I-65 south. I called Andy Mohr, let my dissatisfaction known and then dropped my trailer in Edinburgh Indiana. I then took the truck to Seymour Truck Sales and Service where they discovered the diesel particulate filter needed replaced. So, another $4,400.00 later the truck is supposed to be ready. I already lost $1,000.00 on the load to Jeffersonville so I headed to Ghent Kentucky to pick up my trailer which is where one of Kaplan’s drivers dropped it after delivering my load. After I got the trailer, I headed to Jeffersonville to get a load for Elkhart. But by the time I got to Jeffersonville the truck went into a regen cycle which it was not supposed to. I had to turn down the load because had I taken it, the brand new filter would have filled with soot and all that money would have been wasted. So I took it back to Seymour, it went through a second regen cycle in less than 200 miles and Seymour Truck Sales had it another full week before they decided to replace the regen injector. I paid another $700.00 for that bill and then took my trailer to the trailer shop in Kentucky. Once again there was another problem with the truck before I could get back to Columbus Indiana with it so straight to Seymour Truck Sales I went for a third time. This time the trucks computer sent a bogus message that the EGR valve was working improperly.

I took the truck home and 3 weeks later after I recovered from sinus surgery I went back to Kentucky to get my trailer. On my way back to Columbus, BAM, another regen cycle only this time it told me that this brand new filter that only had 486 miles on it and was supposed to last 200,000 miles was soot filled and ruined. So, another tow bill to Seymour Truck Sales and when we got there I told them not to put a wrench on this truck until I was contacted, that I was out of money for repairs and had to figure out what my next move was. Well, I never got a call so I called them two days later and discovered that they had indeed began doing repairs on it. Needless to say I was furious. I called another tow company and garage and had it moved away. Another $800.00 and it’s still not fixed. Right now it’s in a shop in Versailles Indiana. I hope to go get it tomorrow or Thursday at the latest so I can get back to work. I have not turned a wheel for revenue since December 21st 2017. Last estimate on this batch of repairs is another $4,850.00 with the tow bill included. That’s a total of $12,000.00 spent on this truck since December 21st.

Do you ever get the feeling that you’re short changing yourself or that you have not done enough. Well when it comes to finding a living donor for my wife, that’s exactly how I am feeling now. I have posted, boosted post, made videos, and put the word out as best I know how but the fact is this, we still need a donor. I know what is needed but that’s the problem, I just cannot seem to get there. I think what is needed is a major connection with a very well known person who people will listen to and actually might consider donation. Now don’t get me wrong or take this the wrong way as I deeply appreciate everyone who has responded to my posts and those of you who actually called Indiana University for the interview I hold you in the highest regard. I especially appreciate everything that Lori Ann Crawford has done to help including making personal contact with Ann Marie Tiernon of Channel 13 Eyewitness News. Ann Marie posted one of my post on her Facebook page and for that I am forever grateful. But the fact remains that it obviously isn’t enough. I know that God has this, I believe that with all my heart but I still feel as if I am missing something.

The support from our church Flintwood Wesleyan and church family has been second to none. They have been there to pick me up every time I am down and out. I know that dialysis is the next step, and I guess acceptance is what I must do. But I cannot get it out of my head that dialysis is only temporary and that I know in my heart that out there somewhere there is a selfless, genuine, good hearted Christian who believes in the good book and the meaning of love thy neighbor. The fact is that the only and I do mean only way Debbie has to survive this thing is the sooner, to get a kidney plain and simple. The sooner the better. I am hoping that by some miracle these post might happen to show up on a news feed of someone really important like say maybe Mike Pence or someone like that. I mean after all, Mike is from Columbus so who knows.

Debbie does not monitor any of my post at all, she has no Idea what I put out here but she does know that I would be lost without her and that living without her is not what I am looking forward to. So I will leave you with this thought, If it was your loved one who is in Debbie’s shoes, if you have done all that I have done would you have done enough? If the answer is no, I am open to suggestions!

Implantable Artificial Kidney Moves Closer to Reality
Written by Bob Curley on November 9, 2017

Scientists are developing an artificial kidney that can replicate the work of the real organs and potentially eliminate the need for dialsis.
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), are developing an implantable artificial kidney that can closely replicate the functions of real kidneys.

If they are successful, the scientists’ work could help eliminate the need for dialysis.

Kidney transplants for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) have a high rate of success.

About 93 percent of transplanted kidneys are still working after a year and 83 percent are functioning after three years.

But while more than 25,000 kidneys are transplanted each year, as of early 2016, more than 100,000 people were on the transplant waiting list in the United States.

Patients commonly wait five to 10 years for a suitable organ to become available.

Average life expectancy for dialysis patients is five to 10 years, although some have lived for decades.

However, dialysis — which filters out some (but not all) toxins from the bloodstream that would normally be eliminated by the kidneys — must be performed on a daily basis if done at home via peritoneal dialysis.

It requires three visits to a clinic weekly if performed via hemodialysis.

“The implantable bioartificial kidney is an alternative to dialysis and other externally wearable devices that would tether patients or limit their mobility,” Shuvo Roy, a professor in the UCSF Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and co-inventor of the device, told Healthline. “A live kidney transplant from a matching donor is still considered one of the best treatment options for ESRD, but unfortunately, there is shortage of organ donors that prevents transplants from being available to the vast majority of ESRD patients. Unlike transplants, our device will not require that patients be on immunosuppressive drugs to prevent rejection.”

Human trials of the device are about to begin.

Roy said the bioartificial kidney could eventually be used by the vast majority of the people now on dialysis and the kidney transplant list.

“This is a long-term solution, and any case where a kidney transplant is needed, our device will be a viable option,” said Roy.

How the device works
Roy leads The Kidney Project, a national research initiative centered on development and testing of a surgically implanted, freestanding bioartificial kidney that performs “the vast majority of the filtration, balancing, and other biological functions of the natural kidney.”

Powered by the body’s own blood pressure, the device does not require the external tubes or tethers associated with wearable artificial kidneys, such as that invented by Victor Gura of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. That device was tested on seven dialysis patients at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle in 2015.

The technology also has novel molecular coatings that protect the silicon membranes and make them blood-compatible.

“A hemofilter module processes incoming blood to create a watery ultrafiltrate that contains dissolved toxins as well as sugars and salts,” explained Roy. “Second, a bioreactor of kidney cells processes the ultrafiltrate and sends the sugars and salts back into the blood. In the process, water is also reabsorbed back into the body, concentrating the ultrafiltrate into ‘urine,’ which will be directed to the bladder for excretion.”

Patients with the implant may still be required to take hormonal supplements, however, as they currently do on dialysis, said Roy.

Development of alternatives to current treatments for kidney disease is “very important, since the outcomes of premature mortality and poor quality of life are common for the dialysis population, particularly for in-center hemodialysis,” Dr. Joseph Vassalotti, chief medical officer for the National Kidney Foundation, told Healthline.

The steps ahead
The Kidney Project is raising money to complete preclinical studies of the device modules and to build full-scale prototypes for the first round of human studies.

Initial clinical trials on the individual modules are expected to begin early next year.

Testing of a working prototype of the bioartificial kidney is slated for 2020.

“The long-term challenges center around keeping the device operating trouble-free after implantation beyond a few months,” said Roy. “Some problems won’t become clear until we do clinical trials.”

In addition to $6 million in government grants, the Kidney Project has received substantial donations from individuals in furtherance of its work to create an implantable artificial kidney.

“Their support is a testament to the acute need for a revolution in ESRD treatment, and the donations we have received are invaluable in allowing our research to progress,” said Roy.

In the future, scientists may be able to grow artificial kidneys.

In 2013, researchers, led by Melissa Little of the University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience, were able to grow a primitive kidney from human stem cells.

In 2016, researchers from the Salk Institute in California reported that they were able to grow nephron progenitor cells, which can differentiate into kidney tissue, in the lab.

Such research continues, but the ability to grow replacement organs remains a more distant dream than an implantable artificial kidney.